Understanding what CBT for Tinnitus is for when using it with patients
Guiding Principle
It is important for you as a clinician to understand what Cognitive Behaviour Therapy training is aiming to do for patients who are troubled by distressing tinnitus. It is even more important for you to understand it than it is your patients at this initial stage! To this end, there is a Guiding Principle to bear in mind from the outset.
Guiding Principle
You can also download a PDF copy:
Guiding Principle.pdf 59.46 KB
It was only relatively recently in 2022 that it became apparent for the first time in all the years of running the Tinnitus E-Programme (since 2009), that a small minority of Users expected a change in their tinnitus as a result of being on the programme.
Because of this misunderstanding, Users were monitoring for changes in their tinnitus unwittingly exacerbating tinnitus loudness perception, maintaining and in some cases increasing high levels of arousal, as well as perpetuating their distress over the tinnitus, any or all of which prevents progress and cancels out any improvements they would otherwise begin to experience. This important understanding needed to be addressed directly, hence the 'Guiding Principle'.
Why CBT?
Read about Why CBT for Tinnitus
CBT4T Substack
The name of the CBT for Tinnitus E-Programme was shortened in 2024, and now has the title CBT4T. I also wanted to make some changes in what was to be the 5th edition of the programme: CBT4T 2025. This information pack for Audiologists has been updated to reflect those changes.
In addition to this information pack, there is also the new CBT4T Substack that you are most welcome to subscribe to. More about the Substack in the next section!